No new issues at wastewater plant

Wanganui District Council infrastructure manager Mark Hughes says the main lagoon at the wastewater treatment plant remains stable and there are "no new issues over the last two days".

He said industrial trade waste being received has increased following Christmas Day shutdowns and Oxygain and bio-augmentation treatment is continuing.

The update follows problems at the wastewater treatment plant in the past month.

Mr Hughes said nitrates treatment has been increased at transfer from Beach Road Pumping Station. The main aerators remain switched off and scum continues to be removed by sucker truck from the main lagoon.

However the settling pond is not yet stable, "but the odour discharges are less frequent, not as strong and only last a short time".

"Both the transfers from the main lagoon and to the UV plant are still manually controlled and have been doubled because of increased industrial waste and recent heavy rain."

Mr Hughes said manual addition of sodium nitrate through the transfer from the main pond has been increased to three times daily at 100kg a time and surface scum continues to be formed and removed manually from the settling pond.

He said there were "no new issues" at the UV plant and the deodorising system was still being operated.